Sister Cities

District of Kaoma, Zambia (Africa)

Izushi, Japan

The City of Nelson signed a Sister City Agreement with Shuzenji on May 1, 1987, which was amended in 2005 to reflect the name change of our sister city to Izushi. The agreement is displayed in the front offices of City Hall and reads as follows:

The Agreement for the Establishment of a Sister Relationship between the City of Nelson, B.C. Canada and the City of Shuzenji, Shizuoka, Japan.

The City of Nelson, British Columbia in Canada and the City of Shuzenji, Shizuoka Prefecture in Japan shall endeavour to deepen friendship and mutual understanding between the two cities through educational, cultural, industrial and commercial exchanges, promote the welfare of the citizens of both cities, and holding the firm belief that it will strengthen the ties of friendship between Japan and Canada and that it will contribute toward the peace and prosperity of the world, do hereby pledge, with the approval of the municipal assembly on either side, to cooperate with each other as sister cities. In witness whereof, this agreement is signed on this first day of May in the year nineteen hundred and eighty seven.

Flourishing Relationship

This relationship has flourished since then, spearheaded by the Izushi Friendship Society. Numerous exchanges of visitors between Izushi and Nelson residents have taken place, and the Society continues to be involved in many activities.

The Japanese gardens in Cottonwood Falls Park were officially opened in the fall of 2006. Although the lion's share of the work has been done, volunteers are responsible for the garden upkeep. The stone lantern at the garden was donated by the city of Izushi.

The city of Izushi has also made substantial financial donations to our Nelson Fire Hall museum.

Each spring, a group of Izushi Friendship Society members visits Izushi for about two weeks. During the visit, our Nelson ambassadors visit hot springs, rice fields, strawberry greenhouses, shitake mushroom farms, temples, gardens and other Japanese sites.

Jumelage: Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec & Nelson

The term “jumelage” means twinning in French. Baie-Saint-Paul lies on the St. Lawrence River in the Charlevoix region north of Quebec City. It is a beautiful, atmospheric little city, designated as a Cultural Capital of Canada. Baie-Saint-Paul is well known for the nearby Le Massif ski resort and stunning visual artists. Its most famous product is the fabulous Circleque de Soleil, which originated from the circus tradition in the community.

With the help of L'Association des Francophones des Kootenays Ouest (AFKO) and the Quebec Secretariat of Inter-governmental Affairs, a cultural twinning was established between Nelson and this picturesque community. Mayor Jean Fortin and a team visited Nelson in March 2008 and through a series of focus group discussions on economic and social development, culture, health, agro-tourism, youth, education and environment, resolved with Nelson and AFKO to continue the relationship. A Nelson team consisting of the mayor, a member of city council, the city manager and AFKO's executive director visited Quebec in May 2008 and enjoyed the hospitality of the city and the Charlevoix region.

Community Exchanges

In March 2009 Mayor Fortin returned to Nelson with a Baie-Saint-Paul student to participate in an “Eco-Existence” forum organized by AFKO. Later that year a touring exhibit called “10-10-10” was mounted in the Nelson Library: the works of 10 artists from 10 provinces were commissioned to tour the country as part of Baie-Saint-Paul's Cultural Capital program. Since then the two cities have exchanged locally produced films and other cultural materials. We have certainly learned from Baie-Saint-Paul how our visual artists can be exposed in unusual ways, and our new Cultural Development Commission is currently exploring some of those ideas.